Star Trek The Next Generation: Discovered

Chapter 3

Deanna Troi arrived in the conference room after Will Riker. After his 'anti-depressant' therapy, she had returned to her own quarters to shower and change into another dress uniform. When she entered the large room, she found that it was so full that many people were standing. As she sat back behind the desk in the middle of the room she looked into the seated crowd and spotted the senior officers and Captain Picard. After a few moments the jury arrived. The look in
Kitana's eyes and the slight smirk that tugged at her cranberry lips made Deanna's skin crawl. After a few more moments the judge entered the room. Everybody stood, but was quickly indicated to sit back down. Again, Deanna remained standing, as did the officers without seats.

"Commander Deanna Troi, Counsellor and Bridge officer of the Flagship Enterprise, Daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed, it is the opinion of the jury that you are found guilty of insubordination and the breaking of the Betazed-Federation treaty."

Gasps of shock emanated from the crowd. Beverley and a few other officers, that were patients of Deanna, began to sob. As Riker comforted Deanna's best friend, he turned to watch Deanna, the tears stinging his own eyes. Her face was expressionless, but tears had begun to form in her dark eyes.

"You," continued Osan, "will be stripped of your rank and position, as well as all privileges that are associated with that rank and position."

Osan looked to his computer PADD before continuing,

"The Enterprise will be assigned a new counsellor by tomorrow morning when the Enterprise will depart this sector for another mission. You shall not be aboard this vessel when it leaves."

It was at this point that tears began to fall silently from her eyes. She made no attempt to wipe them away. She stood in the middle of a room full of friends, colleges, an enemy and her lover, and yet, Deanna Troi, felt completely alone.

"However, Deanna, you are a daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed and therefore we cannot stop your government involving you in Starfleet-Betazed matters, as a representative, nor can we stop you from continuing in the psychology field, as you achieved those qualifications before you entered Starfleet. Do you have anything to say?"

"No, sir." She almost whispered.

"You do not wish to appeal?" he asked in surprise.

Deanna sensed that he did not believe that her sentence was just and was suggesting that she should appeal, but something was gone. Something was missing from within herself and, now, she no longer cared.

"No, sir."

"Others may wish to appeal against this sentence; do you wish them to be stopped from doing so?"

"I cannot stop the opinions of others, Admiral. I will not deny them that right."

"Very well. Let it be known," he said raising the volume of his voice and looking at the crowd around him, "that any of you who wish to appeal against this sentence can do so one month from today. Dismissed."

Deanna was out of the room quickly, avoiding the stares of her spectators.

"Deanna, please, just open the door!"

He cried, banging his fists against the locked doors of Deanna Troi's quarters.

"Go away!" Came her muffled reply.

"Imzadi, I'm not leaving until you open this door and talk to me!"

"No, Will, please! Just go away!"

Will Riker lost his temper at that moment and decided not to bother being polite.

"Computer, override lock. Security code; Riker, alpha, beta, zero, zero, two."

"Code accepted."

Deanna's door slid open with a hiss to admit him. Her living quarters were empty; there was nothing to indicate that this was someone's home, other than a few large crates that lay in the middle of the room. Will walked into Deanna's bedroom. Beside Deanna's bed were a few more crates, identical to those in her living quarters, on her bed were several bags full of clothing. In one corner of the bedroom was a pile of material, which he discovered to be her uniforms.

"I asked you not to come in." Came her whispering voice as she emerged from her bathroom.

He heard the sadness in her voice and, when he turned to face her, saw the pain in her tear-filled eyes.

"You're packing already?"

"Yes, I've got to be gone in the morning, you know that."

She placed a few more items of clothing carelessly into the bags, as she spoke.

"How's Beverley? I sensed that she was distressed during the hearing..."

"Of course she's upset!" he yelled, "You're her best friend and...!"

"Don't' yell at me!" she screamed back at him.

"How could you...how could you not appeal?" he yelled again.

"I...I don't know." She stammered, her voice little above a whisper, her head dropped in shame.

"You don't know? You don't know?" he yelled again, in exasperation. "My God, Deanna, if you appeal you could get your position back! Don't you want that?"

He moved closer to her, placing one hand on her shoulder and the other under her chin, lifting it so that she looked at him. In a whisper that held so much emotion that it tore at Deanna's soul, he asked,

"Don't you love me enough to at least try...?"

"How can you say that?" she cried, pushing him away from her. "Don't you EVER question my feelings for you!"

"Deanna, I'm...I'm sorry."

"Do you really think I want to leave? This is my home, my family! I could never wish to leave the Enterprise, Beverly, but most of all, you!"

The hurt in her voice and the sight of the tears rolling down her cheeks, stabbed at his heart, hurting him more then he thought was possible.

"God, Imzadi, I'm sorry. I didn't..." he whispered, trying to get closer to her.

"Just go." She whispered.

"What?"

"I said, get out!" she said, her voice breaking with sobs. "I never want to see you again!"

"Deanna, no! Please, I didn't..."

"Get. Out!"

For a few seconds he stood still, contemplating whether or not he should go to her or simply comply with her wishes. He left silently, his fists clenched and his head bent down in shame and defeat. The small ex-counsellor of the Enterprise wept bitterly as she sank to the floor of her quarters, hugging her knees to her chest.